Bush Health Plan Won't Help Poor

President Bush touts his new health care plan as leveling the field. Here's what would happen ,

"Workplace health coverage costing more than $15,000 for a family or $7,500 for an individual would be subject to income and payroll taxes. Families that buy their own policies, meanwhile, could deduct $15,000 from taxable income. Individuals could take off $7,500. It doesn't matter if the actual cost of the insurance is less."

However, this probably won't entice the 47 million Americans who don't have health insurance because they don't make enough for the tax breaks to take effect. The plan would help those who already buy individual health insurance plans, estimated at about 27 million Americans. Most likely, the health care plan will go nowhere.

Entry written on January 29, 2007